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Construction Knives: Find Your Best Fit

Workers and home-owners alike use construction knives in all kinds of environmental conditions to cut a variety of materials. They rely on cutting tools to be as effective, sturdy, and safe as possible. But rather than grabbing the closest reasonably strong knife, it pays to learn a bit more about construction knives, including the benefits of different handle features, which knife style to choose for which material, and the features of different blades.

What is a Construction Knife?

A construction knife is defined not by its design, but by its use. In other words, any knife chosen to use in industrial or home construction can be considered a construction knife. This includes a:

Razor blade

Construction utility knife

Pen knife

Precision knife

Construction pocket knife

Box cutter

Depending on the situation, one knife might handle every job, or multiple specialty knives might make more sense. No matter what knife you choose, though, safety is not negotiable.

Safety in Construction Industries

Injuries are rampant in the construction field. Workers must lift, push, climb, and move in ways that push their bodies’ natural limits. They’re also expected to use equipment that can often be dangerous if it’s not operated correctly. This is true for both large machines, such as excavators, and hand tools, like contruction knives. Because of this, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) professionals rarely run out of construction safety topics to train their staff.

When it comes to evaluating construction knives for safety, many OHS pros rely on different handle designs to reduce blade exposure and therefore the chance for accidental cuts. While a construction knife handle can add some measure of safety to its overall design, the construction knife blade is where the biggest safety gains are made. After all, what cuts you: the handle or the blade?

The Best Construction Knives for the Job

Utility knives are the all-stars of the construction world because they can handle the largest variety of jobs. Notice, in our breakdown below, how many applications construction utility knives can handle. But maybe variety isn’t what you’re looking for. If your niche in the construction industry is very specific, you might want a more specialized Slice tool. Scan below to find out which tool is right for you.

Plastic banding

Plastic banding surrounds materials on pallets, ensuring that packages stay together. A pointed tip blade works better for this application. Watch the video below for a demonstration of the proper cutting technique.

Drywall or Gypsum

Drywall is a difficult material to cut with any knife. We recommend using a pointed-tip blade and using the tool only for scoring, not cutting, your drywall.

Slice Tools We Recommend:

10550 Manual Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

10554 Auto-Retractable Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

Fiberglass Insulation

Slice currently doesn’t have a blade long enough to cut through fibreglass insulation, however we’re working on a 4-inch blade that will be ideal for this application.

Slice Tools We Recommend:

Upcoming Slice tool with 4-inch ceramic blade

Single- and Double-Walled Cardboard

The Slice original box cutters are designed to handle single- and double-walled corrugated, which represents 98 percent of the corrugated on the market. The video below describes how to hold our box cutters for maximum effectiveness. Keep in mind that many other Slice tools will cut through corrugated, so if you’re looking for a more versatile tool, you might prefer one of our other options.

Slice 10400 Manual Box Cutter is designed to cut single- and double-walled corrugated

Plastic Sheeting or Tyvek®

Handle shape is a factor here, depending on how you plan to cut your sheeting. Will in be on a flat surface? Vertical? Different positions? Choose your handle preference for maneuverability. Note that in all cases a pointed-tip blade is easier to use with plastic sheeting.

Slice Tools We Recommend:

10400 Manual Box Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

10503 Auto-Retractable Box Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

10512 Manual Pen Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

10513 Auto-Retractable Pen Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

10514 Mini Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

10550 Manual Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

10554 Auto-Retractable Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

10558 Smart-Retracting Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

Stripping Insulation Off Wiring

This type of cut needs to be carefully depth controlled so that you cut only the outer insulation without damaging the interior wiring. The below video shows a customer demonstrating how he achieves this with the 10550 Manual Utility Knife.

Rigid Foam Board

Your tool choice will depend on the depth of the foam board you’re cutting and the maneuverability you’ll need with the tool. In all cases, a pointed blade is preferred for this application.

Slice Tools We Recommend:

10400 Manual Box Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

10503 Auto-Retractable Box Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

10514 Mini Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

10550 Manual Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

10554 Auto-Retractable Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

10558 Smart-Retracting Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

Dried Caulking

A pointed-tip blade is recommended for slicing dried caulking. Depending on the amount of caulking you’re cutting, you may prefer a manual handle style for ease, or an auto-retractable style for safety.

Slice Tools We Recommend:

10550 Manual Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

10554 Auto-Retractable Utility Knife with 10528 (pointed-tip) blade

10512 Manual Pen Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

10513 Auto-Retractable Pen Cutter with 10408 (pointed-tip) blade

Let us know how you use Slice construction knives or utility knives in the construction industry to reduce injuries and lower costs.